Windmill 「風車」
by GreenTea4062
Summary: Kushina finds she had somehow shot into a time where Uchiha Madara is a loyal shinobi of Konoha.


It wasn't just another big argument. This would be their last quarrel. Her most important fight.

And yet.

Kushina found that she had lost the moment she felt it.

The pain.

There was a sharp, burning pain coming from her abdomen.

Breathing in and out to not let out a scream, Kushina forcefully directed her thoughts to something that would distract her.

It was rather easy for her to do, as the pain was mild compared to to the labour she went through a couple hours ago and her newborn son was doing a good job to distract her from feeling the pain.

Kushina looked down at the sharp claw of her escaping prisoner that almost killed her newborn son. Blood was dripping from the tip of the claw; her and Minato's blood. She had jumped in to protect her son, together with her husband, from the Kyūbi's sudden attack.

Her son was safe and that was all it took for her to not think of the tremendous pain she currently had. Naruto was _safe_, she reminded herself, breathing in and out so adorably before her eyes. Seeing him safe was enough for her to regain her calm.

Other than Naruto's safety, Kushina could confidently declare that nothing mattered to her.

"I thought I told you that it's my job as the father to protect our son," Minato admonished her gently, his breathing ragged.

Kushina harrumphed, her eyes twinkled with pride, like this was a competition and that she was winning it. "And as the mother it's my job," she took a huge gulp of air before continuing, "even more so, right?"

She smiled over her shoulder, eyes meeting her husband's. For a moment, triumph filled her knowing that she had won over Minato in speed even with her current condition ― though they both were not exactly in their top condition.

Kushina passingly noted the way that she was faring better than Minato, even if she was exerting her remaining chakra more so than he was. She had her chakra chains protruding from her back, keeping the Kyūbi subdued with them and the amount of chakra needed for the task would tire the average chūnin faster than she could say '_Kongō Fūsa_ (Adamantine Blockade)'.

Her surviving the extraction of the strongest bijū after a childbirth had probably something to do with her being Uzumaki let her endure more than what the average man could. Her incredible Uzumaki vitality was the only thing that prevented her from dropping dead on the spot after Kyūbi was extracted from her, and she was grateful for it.

Her grip on Kyūbi's sharp claw, the thing that easily tore right through her and now stuck in her middle section, tightened as Kushina tried to gather her words.

"It's the first time I lost on our quarrel since I married you." Kushina had never thought the day she will admit defeat would come, but the situation was calling it. Her breath hitched. "I understand now how serious you are about this."

_'A__bout sealing the Kyūbi into Naruto and leaving him all by himself,' _she continued on inwardly, not wanting their last moments together to be something negative.

She had lost in this fight and she acknowledged that.

But it didn't mean she was agreeing with him. Kushina didn't approve in the slightest of him making this decision. Sacrificing their son wasn't something her, a mother, should and would approve of. It was just that she could see it was pointless to keep resisting, to fight, to yell, to beg at her husband ― like she had done so earlier ― that she decided to go with his whim now.

Kushina saw it and she knew it deeply; Minato was too invested in this to even hear her words.

_'Jiraiya-sensei,'_ she thought, her violet eyes unusually dark and the frown on her lips visible,_ 'just how important that prophecy is to you that even Minato believes it?'_

"Thank you, Kushina," Minato uttered, unknowing of her murky thoughts and all, before summoning Gamatora to give the toad the key to the seal that he was about to brand onto Naruto. He'd probably send the toad to Jiraiya-sensei for safekeeping.

Kushina didn't bother to acknowledge her husband's gratitude, her mind was still not accepting the situation she was in.

Eyes on her son, Kushina felt her lips tremble with overwhelming emotions that she just couldn't tell, couldn't express to Minato. She wanted to hold her son close, she wanted to be near him all the time, she wanted to live for him. But she couldn't. Because she was dying and ― her mouth set in a grim line, Kushina stopped her thoughts. Tears were gathering at each corner of her eyes, but she blinked them away.

She had thought she would have a normal life now that the war was over. She was wrong, so very wrong.

In the end, Uzumaki Kushina was a shinobi. She was one who should endure.

And really, she couldn't complain that she was going to die and leaving her son orphaned and that the world was unfair to her ― because Kushina knew she was one of the lucky ones. She had lived longer than her family and most of her comrades; her husband's students, Obito and Rin were thirteen, and she was going to die at the age of twenty-four.

The saying was right: a shinobi never know when they will die.

"Kushina, we don't have much time." Kushina would give a snort at that if she could. Of course they didn't have _time. _"It's time to do the _Hakke Fūin_ (Eight Trigrams Seal). I want to include my chakra into Naruto as well. We won't meet him for a long while... so say what you want to Naruto now."

Kushina bit the inside of her cheek, stopping to taste the blood that filled her mouth.

Minato. Minato was always like this. Too considerate ― too kind for her, he was.

He wasn't cold, it was just her that wasn't warm enough to match him.

Releasing a breath with visible difficulty, Kushina smiled softly.

"Naruto," she began with her son's name. "Don't be a picky eater. Just ― just eats lots to grow up, okay? Take a bath every day and stay warm. Don't stay up late at night, and instead, do sleep a lot. And do make friends, not a lot ― just the ones you can really trust. Just a few is okay, really."

Mikoto was her only close friend, and she was content with that fact. In her younger days, Kushina wanted lots and she wondered if Naruto would be like that as well.

"Oh, um, I was bad at them, but do well on your studies and your Ninjutsu, okay? But well, everyone has their strength and weakness, so don't feel down if you're not good at something. Do respect your teachers and seniors at the Academy, though." She didn't pay any respect to the teachers back then, but she hoped Naruto wouldn't follow her example. "Uh, and... ah, right! The things you have to watch out for: the Three Shinobi Bans." _Money, Alcohol, and Women._

Kushina grimaced slightly, the image of a drunk Jiraiya-sensei laughing loudly with women around him on her mind; because he was notorious at breaking the bans.

"The first is money. Be careful managing your money. Do save some of your mission salary. Um, alcohol... only drink once you're past twenty ― do drink moderately; for it's bad for your health." Now for the most, most important part. "And the most troubling of the bans ― women. You see, I'm a woman, so I'm not well-versed in the matter."

Kushina had almost chocked on her own blood, but managed to continue, "But there are only men and women in this world ― you're bound to be attracted to women. Well, don't go for the odd ones ― just find someone like me and you'll do. Speaking of the Three Bans," Kushina chuckled and said, "Watch out for Jiraiya-sensei, 'ttebane!"

Kushina felt Minato's hand snaking into hers. Their fingers were now interlocked.

The warmth ― the unexpected gesture broke the dam that until now contained all of her emotions.

"Naruto. From now on, you'll face a road of pain and hardships. Believe in yourself!" _Don't ever lose hope in yourself_. "And then, have dreams! Have the confidence that you will make your dreams come true." Kushina couldn't hold the tears from flowing down her cheeks anymore. "There are many, many, many, many, _many_ things that I wanted to share with you!" _Fūinjutsu, sweets, movies, music, jokes, pranks, favorite books, everything, and anything._ "I want to stay together with you a whole lot_ longer...!"_

Kushina tried to calm herself ― it was futile. She was a sobbing mess now. "I love you ― I do." Stopping herself from saying more, she addressed her husband, "I'm sorry, Minato, for taking a lot of the time..."

"No, it's okay." At that she trembled violently. Her sobbing worsened with each passing second. "Naruto, what I want to tell you is; listen to your nagging mother, alright?" Behind her, she could feel him winking and smiling as he said that to their son.

Her eyes were shut tightly as she silently cried. Kushina didn't have it in her to see him do it.

She braced herself for him to do it, anyway.

"_Hakke Fūin._"

It was just a name for the seal. But to her, the way Minato whispered it sounded like it tore her everything in two.


End file.
